Mariners Prospect No. 18: Yordi Calderon

Yordi Calderon, 3B, VSL Mariners (Foreign Rookie, 18.5 years old on average in 2011)

6-2, 185 lbs, 18 years old

Bats: Right, Throws: Right

Acquired: International Signing (2010)

ETA: 2016

Calderon represents the first appearance of one of the Mariners major foreign signings in recent years. He was part of the 2010 class that also included Philips Castillo. Calderon was billed as an accomplished hitter and a capable fielder. While it’s tough to find anything short of a subjective review of his defense in the Venezuela Summer League, his bat showed well. His .150 ISO is plenty acceptable for a player his age, and his 11.1 percent walk rate is very promising for a 17 year old. His 21.6 percent strikeout rate is a bit concerning, again, because of how young he is, and what little professional ball he’s played, it’s hardly a death sentence. It seems that I’m much higher on Calderon than the rest of the baseball community. If he ends up stateside and performs well this year, I’m fully ready to engage in a full on mancrush, and vault Calderon into my top 10.